Inquiry & Critical Thinking Skills for the Next Generation: From AI to Human Intelligence

1. … take what you have gathered from coincidence … Inquiry & Critical Thinking Skills for the Next Generation: From AI to Human Intelligence J. Michael Spector, Mike.Spector@unt.edu UCSEC 2019 at UNT, March, 2019

2. Outline • Who – everyone? Should be but thinking is hard work • What – thinking and reasoning habits of mind • Where – anywhere • When – the younger the better • Why – because the future demands it • How – progressive development using engaging problems scenarios in multiple domains amplified by game-like elements and a conversational interface  J. Michael Spector

3. Setting the mood • Repeat after me: It’s not about the technology … It’s about the learning Once again, this time with feeling It’s not about the technology … It’s about the learning Now try this … It’s not about the technology … It’s about the use of technology And finally, this one … It’s not about the technology … It’s about the use of technology to support learning, instruction and human performance  J. Michael Spector

4. A Familiar Hierarchy Wisdom: knowing … and doing … Intelligence: the ability to create and evaluate rules and principles Knowledge: analyzed information such as principles and rules Information: processed and organized data that can be useful and analyzed Data: immediate perceptions, bits and bytes, unprocessed and unanalyzed building blocks  J. Michael Spector

5. Theories http://158.132.155.107/posh97/private/TIP/3.htm • Psychology of Learning • Learning as a process, as an event, as … • As a change in what a person or group knows and can do • As intentional, non-intentional, formal, non-formal, natural, on-going, … • Theoretical frameworks • Behaviorism – Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, etc. • Cognitivism – Anderson, Bruner, Collins, Johnson-Laird, Reigeluth, Spiro, Sweller, etc. • Socio-contructivism – Bransford, Festinger, Quine, • Social learning – Bandura, Bransford, Lave, Piaget, Siemens, Salomon, Vygotsky, etc. • Humanistic perspectives – Deci, Kolb, Maslow, etc. • Neural perspectives – Daw, Shohamy, Tokuhama-Espinosa, Tracey  J. Michael Spector

6. Overheard • A prominent neuro-scientist at the International Workshop on Technology Enhanced Learning in India said that learning was simply synaptic connections in the brain … more connections = more learning • Is that what is called learning? It may well be an effect or pre-condition or indicator of learning, and that perspective can provide deep insight into learning, but synaptic connections are not what is called learning  J. Michael Spector

7. What is called critical thinking? • The Foundation for Critical Thinking “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.”  J. Michael Spector

8. Critical Thinking Enablers • Engagement • Interest in something • Requires noticing something unusual • Cuts across traditional academic domains • Higher order reasoning • Analyzing, evaluating, creating explanations and solutions • Self efficacy • Commitment, self monitoring, and more • The 4 Cs • Communicating, collaborating, critical thinking,and creativity • The 3 Rs • Re-examination, reasoning, reflection  J. Michael Spector

9. THEORY Descriptions Explanations Predictions Principles Phenomena or events Direct observation Indirect observation  J. Michael Spector

10. More theories • Instructional-Design Theories • 4C/ID – van Merrienboer • ACT* - Anderson • Cognitive apprenticeship – Brown, Collins, & Duguid • Component Display Theory - Merrill • Conditions of learning – Gagne • Elaboration Theory - Reigeluth • Double Loop Learning – Argyris • Dual Coding Theory • GOMS – Card, Moran & Newell • Information Processing Theory – Miller • Model Centered Learning - Seel • Problem Based Learning - Barrows • Script Theory – Schank • Structural Learning theory - Scandura  J. Michael Spector

11. Theories and more theories • Occam’s razor – simple approaches and those with the fewest assumptions are preferable. • People develop theories. Why? What kinds of theories exist? There are the General and Special Theories of Relativity. Then came Quantum Theory. There is the Theory of Evolution, Information Theory, and Game Theory. Oh yes, and the Theory of Plate Tectonics or Continental Drift. • In addition to physical science theories, there are theories in the social sciences. There is the Keynesian Theory in Economics, the Theory of the Diffusion of Innovation in I/O psychology, Cognitive Flexibility Theory in epistemology, and Activity Theory in the domain of learning and instruction.  J. Michael Spector  J. Michael Spector 11

12. Activity Theory – Leont’ev, Luri, Engeström, Kaptelinin, Nardi et al.  J. Michael Spector

13. Human vs. Artificial Intelligence • Artificial intelligence • AKA, machine intelligence, smart computing devices, etc. • Criteria = correlate patterns with objects/ideas, support or enable decisions based on situational factors, automate low-level activities, able to … • Turing test – a test to determine if a machine’s or computer’s actions or decisions are distinguishable from a knowledgeable human’s actions or decisions in a given situation, able to perceive and interpret the environment and react appropriately, the ability to search for applicable rules and apply an appropriate rule, and the ability to discover new rules based on existing data and add to the rule base … • Human intelligence • AKA, brainpower, wisdom, street smarts, … • Criteria – problem solving ability, synthesis of disparate information, evaluating complex data, creating innovative solution approaches, … • Intelligence test – a test to determine relative level of intelligence as measured against a comparable population … see http://am-i-dumb.com/ , http://www.begent.org/intelquiz.htm , http://www.iq-test.cc/ , and many more … give them a try and form your own opinion  J. Michael Spector

14. Time Comparison (1/2)  J. Michael Spector

15. Time Comparison (2/2) Where are we going? Why? How will we get there?  J. Michael Spector

16. Time Comparison (2/2, continued) • This is the second generation of artificial intelligence – see also https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095809917300772 • From Claude Shannon, John McCarthy, Marvin Minksky, Allan Newell and Herbert Simon in the 1940s and 1950s to Eliza in the 1960s to Intelligent Tutoring Systems in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and now to AI 2.0 with big data analytics, recognition of patterns in disparate data, connection with IoT, cross-media analytics, human-machine augmentation, networked communities, and … • HOWEVER • We are still in the first generation of human intelligence … while there has been great progress in making machines smarter and in advancing scientific understanding, there has not been such significant progress in human intelligence on a large and sustained scale … •  • A machine can calculate  to millions of digits … can you? However, a machine has yet to construct a proof that  is an irrational number … and very few humans can do that either … can you?  J. Michael Spector

17. Challenges to test intelligence • Towers of Hanoi challenge • What is the least number of moves to move N disks from the left tower to the rightmost tower moving one disk at a time given that a larger disk cannot be placed on top of a smaller disk? • The MU Puzzle Letters: M, I, U [x is a variable that can stand for any letters] Given: MI Derive: MU Rule 1: If you possess a string whose last letter is I, you can add on a U at the end. Rule 2: Suppose you have Mx. then you may add Mxx to your collection. Rule 3: If III occurs in one of the strings in your collection, you may make a new string with U in place of III. Rule 4: If UU occurs inside one of your strings, you can drop it.  J. Michael Spector

18. Interactive Quiz • Who is the most intelligent person you have known or read about? • Why do you regard that person as intelligent? • Could another person be taught to be as intelligent as that person? • If so, how; if not, why not? • Do you believe intelligence is inherited or learned? • Do you believe intelligence can be improved in an individual over time? • If so, how might that be done? If not, why not?  J. Michael Spector

19. Focusing on Critical Thinking • What is critical thinking? • A set of interrelated attributes, including skills that span inquiry, exploration, problem solving, analysis, evaluation, synthesis, hypothesis formulation and testing, argumentation, and reflection(AKA, higher order reasoning) • SextusEmpiricus – the ability to suspend judgment on matters not clearly evident to all and keep inquiring into those matters • P21 – one of the overarching learning and innovation skills in the 21st Century Framework that includes problem solving, analysis and evaluation, synthesis and reflection, and the ability to frame and explore challenging questions • The new 3 Rs = re-examining, reasoning and reflection • Why is it important to improve critical thinking in the general population? • Many of the situations and challenges that most people will confront in their lives are complexand ill-structured such that is it not evident what the alternatives and which alternatives are preferable  J. Michael Spector

20. Previous Efforts • Findings • 1997 study of preparing California teachers in the area of critical thinking: exposure to research on critical thinking (CT) but vague understanding of CT and how best to support CT in teaching students (Paul, Elder, & Bartell, 1997; https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED437379.pdf ) • Lai & Viering (2012) – critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, motivation and meta-cognition are interrelated and assessed with various instruments; some focus on analyzing arguments, some on making inferences, some on judging and evaluating, and some on problem solving and decision making; related dispositions include open-mindedness, inquisitiveness, flexibility, respectfulness, and seeking reasons (see also Cross & Paris, 1988; Paris & Winograd, 1990; Schraw & Moshman, 1995; Schraw et al., 2006; Whitebread et al., 2009) • Domain specificity vs. general skills – mixed results in that some skills are domain specific (e.g., problem solving) whereas some are quite general (e.g., argumentation skills); (Ennis, 1985; Paul, 1992; Smith, 2002; Tiruneh, Verburgh & Elen, 2014) • In general, some efforts have shown an impact, but typically on a limited scale and none have managed to attain large-scale, sustained and significant impact in spite of widespread recognition that CT is important • Instruments • Self reports – easy to administer but not so reliable; cognitive load reports can be useful in supplementing other findings. • Personal Potential Index (ETS instrument) measures (a) knowledge and creativity, (b) communication skills, (c) teamwork, (d) resilience, (e) planning and organization, and (f) ethics and integrity (Kyllonen, 2008) • California Critical Thinking Skills Test (Facione, 1990) - https://www.clemson.edu/academics/programs/thinks2/documents/scholars/summer_2013/knox_cctst.pdf • Cornell Critical Thinking Tests (Ennis & Millman, 2005) - https://www.criticalthinking.com/cornell-critical-thinking-tests.html • Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (Watson & Glaser, 1980) - http://www.watsonglaser.com.au/index.html • Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Test (Ennis & Weir, 1985) - https://www.academia.edu/1847582/The_Ennis-Weir_Critical_Thinking_Essay_Test_An_Instrument_for_Teaching_and_Testing  J. Michael Spector

21. Remembering where we have been • Intelligent Tutoring Systems • A promising technology – 2 sigma improvements in learning were promised … but it di not happen • Human tutors vs. intelligent tutors • Human-human communication vs. system-human communication • System communications were not conversational • Difficult to parse human responses and respond appropriately – The Turing Test and Weisenbaum’s Eliza  J. Michael Spector

22. What is needed to make progress • A developmental approach • A conversational interface • Working with naturally occurring problems and situations • Fostering engagement • Promoting self-analysis and reflection  J. Michael Spector

23. Promising Approaches • The Vasa Museum Experience – one can walk around the warship but what do kids do ? (spend time on an interactive simulation to re-design it so that it does not sink. • Two take-aways: (1) technology can provide an engaging and effective way to promote critical thinking, and (2) starting to develop inquiry and critical thinking skills in children is good • A Holistic Approach – given the set of skills and competencies that comprise critical thinking, consider both cognitive and non-cognitive factors, take into account precursors (e.g., motivation and volition) and well as successor activities (e.g., hypothesis refinement and reflection) • A Naturalistic Approach – given the notion of the zone of proximal development and the related skills of communication and collaboration, a conversational interface can be engaging, encouraging, and provide useful information  J. Michael Spector

24. A series of games to develop competence: Development phases with sample competencies  J. Michael Spector

25. Greg Kearsley’s Theory into Practice Database https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/  J. Michael Spector

26. Final Exam What would be required in order to plan, implement and evaluate a strategy to improve the average level of intelligence in a large population significantly – i.e., by at least one standard deviation if measured quantitatively or by an appropriate indicator if not measured quantitatively? Bonus question: In which country are all the children above average? Mike.Spector@unt.edu